Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

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Russian-U.S. arms reduction treaty should be ratified by end of year - army chief

RAMENSKOYE (Moscow region), September 22 (RIA Novosti) - A strategic arms reduction treaty between Russia and the United States should be ratified by the end of the year, the Russian Armed Forces General Staff chief said on Wednesday.

"Ratification should occur by the end of the year," Gen. Nikolai Makarov said. "There are no stumbling blocks now."

Ratification should occur simultaneously, he added.

The U.S. Senate foreign affairs committee approved the treaty for ratification last week, but fears are that it will face opposition when it goes to a vote in the full house. Several senior U.S. officials have said this may happen before the November 2 mid-term elections.

The presidents of Russia and the United States, Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama, signed the treaty in Prague in April.